Shadow Systems DR920P and L Review: Full-Size Fun From the Factory

This article will begin with a factual statement. I have owned several Glock 34s as well as a few Glock 17s. All of them were sold. I couldn’t get on board the grip angle and, unless it was stippled using a grip reduction/magwell, I couldn’t index pistols as well I could something closer to a Glock 19. I thought it was because of my medium-sized hands or my wrist geometry. I decided to try platforms that tango with my personal geometry a bit better. Then, I danced with Shadow Systems’ full-size DR920 pistols, the DR920P (P for performance and L for long). I’m beginning to change my tune. Both full-size guns pointed perfectly for me out of the box and index very naturally. Then I began to run some rounds through them. After running a few rounds through the long-slide offerings, I may have said holy sh*t. Each gun is unique and each has its own personality. I will be focusing on the DR920L, but I will briefly discuss what they share in common. Grip FramesThey are almost identical. It’s the DR920P frame with all the accessories Shadow Systems is famous for: Interchangeable backstraps – NPOA (natural place of aim), extra material guarding slide stop, refined grip angle, beavertail, and what I consider Goldilocks stippling. It’s perfect. Not too rough, but not too smooth. Both come in a magwell that I have grown to love, contrary to previous articles I’ve written about the MR920. It’s not as extravagant as a Dawson Ice magwell but it doesn’t add a mere 0.001mm to the magazine’s opening. It is, again, not too large or too small. Like most compact and full-size guns, it also has a thumb ledge on either end of the trigger guard. This allows you to shoot fast and apply downward pressure. These guns come with two of the latter. Other DR920 commonalitiesThe top ends, muzzles, barrel lengths, and top ends of the two DR920 pistols are clearly different, but they share a few key features at the top end. Shadow System’s patent-pending optic system. This is the patented optic system that Shadow System uses. I have covered it extensively in my other articles on the company’s MR920 offering, the Glock 19-sized counterpart. These fit in a Glock 34 (or an open-ended holster that’s meant for a G17) and are approximately the same length. The DR920P’s compensator is an additional 1.3 inches. The MR920 is my favorite plastic fantastic gun, and I think it’s one of the fastest shooting. But, I’m here today to tell you that any of these guns could take that spot. They are fast, easy to use, and the 920L shoots like an e-gun. It has accuracy and minimal felt recoil. Both Shadow Systems DR920 pistols can be chosen from the long-slide and compensated versions. However, the DR920P sight is fixed to the compensator, while the DR920P sight is mounted on the slide and is user-serviceable. Both have stainless-steel guiderods and recoil springs. Let’s now discuss each one individually. DR920PThe DR stands for performance. The DR stands for Duty Role. As an aside, I have heard that SWAT units use this rig. Although I had some problems getting the gun to work reliably, I still consider it a performance firearm. Shadow Systems CEO Trevor Roe told me that they had asked customers when they came up with the pistol. He explained that they used 147gr reloads that do not cycle in my factory guns. According to the manual, this also invalidates their warranty. This is why you shouldn’t attempt it at home. Although the DR920P ran factory 124s, 147s perfectly, it is not suitable for me shooting as much as I do and with the matches I shoot, so I have to do my own thing. Even though I had to change the spring to a lighter 15-pound spring (which was included), I still managed to get plenty of stovepipes and short strokes when running my competition load reloads. I tried some 115gr and 122.4gr ammo that was slightly hotter and they ran perfectly. The moral of the story: Full-power ammunition is required for compensated guns. It’s compensated. Any extra recoil you pick-up is reduced by the vertical compensation ports. The compensator is a unique design that’s both zero-fitted and doesn’t require a threaded barrel (in the event that you live in a country that doesn’t value freedom). It is patent-pending and easy to clean and break down. This thing will need to cleaned. I shot it so many times that the tritium in front of my sight was occluded and I had to stop point shooting at one point. The barrel and compensator of the DR920P have been disassembled. I did find myself shooting a bit high with the gun and had to use a 6 o’clock hold to clear the plate rack. Since the compensator has a front view mounted directly on it, I was determined not to run an optic on it. This is both great from an engineering standpoint and useful for accuracy. The compensator doesn’t reciprocate with the slide so you don’t get the dancing front sight effect. This could have been the reason I had to modify my POA. But, like many others who have moved their carry optics darkly, I gave up and put a dot. It’s now smoking plate racks at 25 yards and shooting 10-shot fist-sized group at 25 yards. The front sight of this DR920 variant is mounted to the compensator. This gun is true to Shadow System’s roots. It has all the features you’re used to, including the stippling, the bronze-colored spiral fluted barrel and window cuts. It does not have the top serrations of other Elite models, but it does have the forward- and rear-cocking serrations. It also integrates the slide and comp seamlessly. As mentioned, the front sight rides on the comp. This forced me to adjust the grip when pressing to make sure I didn’t pinch my hand between slide and comp. It looks great, is fast, and is very refined. ShootabilityThe DR920P is a lot of fun and shoots very flat. The compensator makes it loud, but that’s what it’s supposed to be. It shoots very fast, but I wouldn’t want to use it for retention shooting drills. Recoil? What is the recoil? This gun performed as if I was shooting 147s from an uncompensated gun, even with 115s or hot Winchester Brown Box 124s. The comp prevented muzzle rise, which resulted in tight groups and follow-up shots. The larger grip frame also helps shooters keep a good deal on Bill Drills or mag dumps. TriggerThe trigger is solid enough for a stock gun, even though Shadow Systems’ higher-end guns are “Gucci” from the start. I measured a 3-pound, 1-ounce break for 10 pulls on my scale, which is lower than what is listed on the spec sheet. It’s a leap and bounds better than a standard Glock or M&P trigger. This gun is easy to use with dots or irons, thanks to its quick travel and tactile reset. As I mentioned, I did eventually have to break it down and put a dot in it. The optics mounting system makes this easy and the gun just flies through plate racks or rapid-fire drills. AccessoriesThis gun’s main selling point is its cross-compatibility. It can be used with most G34 holsters. The DR920P’s holster compatibility is streamlined and not bloated. This allows the user to use any G34 or open-ended G17 holsters that they have lying around. The frames are identical to G17/34s so you can use any double-stack magazine with 17 rounds or more. It has a rail so you can run a light, laser or other accessories for your full-size pistol. This DR920P variant comes with a removable magwell and lighter spring. It also includes extra high-temp O rings for the compensator (they only cost a few dollars if you use them), backstraps, and a Shadow Systems range bag. DR920P Specs – Frame: Textured Polymer.Barrel Material – 416R Stainless Steel.Trigger pull: 4.0 to 4.5 pounds. Length: 8.44 inches.Height: 5.25. Capacity: 17+1.48 inches.Caliber: 9×19. Action: Striker-FiredDR920L. The long-slide DR920. In this case, the L stands for long-slide. This Shadow Systems pistol is the largest, longest and fastest-shooting. This gun is only available in Elite flavor. It has the same aesthetic as the MR/DR/XR/CR Elite tiers. It features a stippled frame, reduced grasping surfaces, and a thumb ledge. There are also directional cocking serrations at the top and side of the slide, and lightning cuts. “We called it the laser gun in the shop. Shadow Systems CEO Trevor Roe said that the DR920L feels effortless after spending so much time with shorter sight ranges and snappier guns. This gun was the company’s biggest release at SHOT 2023 and it is a joy to shoot. I was able consistently to get five shots on target with the holster in testing. It took 1.7 to 1.9 seconds. My splits were about the lowest I’ve ever seen with a pistol (.17 territory), and this was just my first outing. Because this thing is fast, maybe the L should be Lightning. It looks great from a styling standpoint. It looks simply stunning with its lightning cuts and more serrations that a bread knife. The barrel contrast makes it even more attractive. But does it actually shoot as well as it looks? ShootabilityThe long-slide DR920 is a great choice when it comes to shootability. It’s easy to use and feels similar to my CZs, but it is half the weight and optics-ready. It can withstand recoil and will run almost any type of ammo that I shoot. In the more than 500 rounds of testing, I didn’t experience any failures with this pistol. The pistol’s low bore axis, lightened slide, thumb ledge and high grip make it a fast-shooting package. As I said, I have been a bit confused by Glock full-size guns. But the DR920 is incredibly intuitive for me. With such a large sight radius, I am trying to resist the temptation of putting an optic onto everything. So, I’m shooting this with irons while it’s in production or limited in USPSA. TriggerThe trigger is made of metal and has the same tactile reset that Shadow Systems is known for. It weighs in at 2 pounds, 15 ounces, and is broken after ten pulls using a Lyman digital gauge. The larger sight radius and full-size grip make it easier to press to my rear. However, this could be illusionary due to the former points–a larger gun equals less felt movement. I can hear the reset and don’t feel any trigger freezes when doing mag dumps or quick target changes. She runs out of the box quickly, and unlike other wonder-polys, there is no immediate, almost compulsive urge to swap the stock trigger (see Glock, Smith & Wesson). AccessoriesAs it is a large gun, any G34 or open-ended G17 Holster will work. It comes with all the accessories of the compensated DR920 except for the O-ring, reduced power recoil spring, and the reduced power recoil spring. It can be mounted with any weapon light you choose, and it can even hold a Streamlight TLR1 without extending past the muzzle. DR920L Specs – Caliber: 9x19Action.Weight: 22.4 ounces for Elite.Frame: Textured Polymer. Length: 7 1/4 in (unthreaded).Height 5 1/4 in. Trigger pull: 4.5 to 5.0 poundsCapacity 17+1Front sight: Green Outline, Tritium dotRear sight: Black SerratedParting shot. I went into this review thinking that full size guns are not my thing, especially with slide-mounted optics. Why would you shoot a longer gun if the sight radius is not necessary? I was wrong. Although the MR920/Glock 19 grip frames fit my hand well, there is nothing wrong with extra real estate. There’s also nothing wrong with the increased mass, barrel length, and velocity of a larger gun. The only thing that I dislike about the DR920P is the sensitivity to ammo, but once I found what worked, it was no problem. The pistol is loud but it shoots fast, flat, and looks great. I don’t have any druthers for the 920L. I just wish I had gotten on the long-slide train sooner. More Handgun Reviews Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. Enter your email address below.